Story of a Brave Warlock
by shipityouwill
Summary: When Gwaine comes up with a plan to help Merlin tell Arthur, the warlock struggles to do so. This story is about the realization about magic and the fun that ensues afterwards. No slash except what the show established (Arthur/Gwen for example). First Merlin fic, enjoy. Protective!knights, scared!Merlin, confused!Arthur. -Grace the magical unicorn


DISCLAIMER- Sadly I do not own anything Merlin, except characters I will add to this story. If I did, Merlin would reveal his magic to Arthur and he would create mayhem all over the castle and Arthur would confess his love for Gwen.

Prologue

He hadn't meant for them to know. Gwaine knew, Lancelot knew, Elayn knew, and even Percival knew. Every time it had happened by complete accident. Merlin would get a bad feeling in his stomach when one of them found out, but not like the feeling he got when he thought of Arthur finding out.

He knew he was going to have to tell Arthur soon, or one of the knights would. That didn't stop him from putting it off for as long as possible. He didn't want Arthur to find out by accident, he wanted Arthur to see that he trusted the king enough with his secret, but he didn't know how. That was when Gwaine got the idea.

In the knight's mind it was simple. Make a meeting at the round table and reveal it to the king. Merlin didn't think it would be that simple. He assumed he would get almost or completely killed, but he didn't share these thoughts with Gwaine. He had to do this.

When he revealed Gwaine's plan to the knights, they were skeptical of it. He wanted the knights to know the plan so they could help him out as much as possible. It took a little convincing, they were only scared for Merlin's sake. After a while they all agreed. The plan was in place. Merlin was ready.

Chapter 1

All the knights gathered at the round table. Arthur was more annoyed than confused as to why this meeting was called. He sat huffing in his seat.

"Why exactly was I dragged here?" Arthur pouted. Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"Um..." Merlin started. Arthur moved his attention to his manservant. What could Merlin say that was worth all of their attention?

"Merlin," Gwaine pressed eagerly. Arthur propped himself up.

"Spit it out Merlin," Arthur ordered. As soon as this was over he was going to take a long nap. He waited, looking at his manservant who was avoiding his gaze.

"Tell him Merlin," all the knights said at different times. Oh lord, Arthur thought, what had his manservant done that was big enough for his most loyal knights to know about?

Merlin mumbled something under his breath and started shaking slightly. He looked at Arthur expectantly.

"Come again?" Arthur asked. Merlin closed his eyes for a moment, terrified that he had to repeat himself. He surely had the king's interest now.

"Merlin," Gwaine repeated. There was a long pause. Merlin sat up in his chair proudly. It was now or never.

" I've got magic!" Merlin blurted out, almost yelling. All the knights tensed a bit, but they obviously weren't surprised.

" You've got what?" Arthur questioned, now completely twisted in his chair to face Merlin.

"Magic," Merlin whispered. Gwaine, who was sitting on the other side of Merlin, put a comforting hand on his back.

The only thing Arthur could think of to comprehend what his manservant had said was that this was a very mean practical joke. But no, he thought, it couldn't be. Merlin was a terrible liar, and he spoke with so much emotion that he was now trembling.

"Sire?" Elayn asked, concerned. The king had turned white, but didn't take his eyes off of Merlin.

"Is it true?" he asked the knights for confirmation, but didn't look at them.

"Yes sire, it is. He only uses it for good though Arthur, we've been through this before," Gwaine pointed out.

"How long?" Arthur asked Merlin after a belated looked at Arthur deeply with his deep blue eyes.

"Since I was a child. I was born with magic," Merlin whispered. Arthur turned around in disgust.

"You knew?" Arthur said through closed teeth and a clenched jaw. The knights all nodded. Arthur shook his head.

"That's treason," the king muttered," You can't do that."

"No it's not," Lancelot said. The king looked at him in shock.

"What do you mean 'It's not?'"

"I mean, the law is against sorcerers, but Merlin is a warlock. He isn't evil, he's saved your life, our lives so many times," Lancelot explains.

"It's true," Gwaine continues.

Arthur wanted to scream. How could the knights just sit there while a sorcerer, or a warlock, was in their midst? He couldn't understand why his manservant, or best friend would betray him. Arthur started to pull his sword from it's holster. Percival, who was sitting to his right, put a hand out to stop him.

"Arthur please, don't hate me! I swear I've only done this to protect you and Camelot. Can't you see?" Merlin pleaded. Arthur could see the fear in Merlin, who hadn't stopped shaking. He put back his sword.

"You better have a damn good explanation," Arthur said flatly. He saw the corners of Merlin's mouth twitch up.

FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER FILLER

Merlin felt like the words came smoothly off his tongue, like he had this all planned. He started from the very beginning, from when he had seen his first public execution and was horrified. Arthur had looked very pale. He got choked up when it came to Freya. He had to have Gwaine explain.

"She was the love of his life. Long story short she was a beast when you saw her. You stabbed her Arthur. When Merlin got to her she was already fading. She died at the lake. She was cursed to cause bloodshed as a bastet. Merlin tried helping her escape."

Merlin didn't think that this little speech gave Freya the justice that she deserved, but he nodded a thank at Gwaine. Arthur stayed silent.

"Do you remember that druid girl Arthur?" Gwaine asked. A slight nod came from the king. "That was her."

The horror and shame Arthur felt was blistering. He wanted to undo time for the sake of Merlin, to make it so she had lived with and for him.

"I'm so sorry Merlin," Arthur croaked. The warlock just nodded faintly, taking in raspy breaths.

"You didn't know," Merlin said, covering his pained face. "It wasn't your fault."

"Can you continue with the story?" Arthur asked, hoping Merlin would say yes, so this could all be done with. He knew Merlin wasn't evil, he just wanted to find out the wrongs he had to right.

"Yes."

So Merlin continued like that for an hour until he came to the battle with the great dragon in Camelot. The knights were on the edge of their seats, knowing the most important part of the story was coming.

"Do you remember going to see Balinor?"

A faint nod came from Arthur, thinking this was just a minor detail of the story that was forever going. Merlin took in a deep breath before continuing.

"Before we left to see him Gaius told me something very important. I've never had a father, you know that. He asked if my mother had ever spoken of a man who stayed with her. I said no. Gaius told me that it was Balinor, and that he was my father. As we rode I kept thinking that, one, I had a father, and two, he was a dragonlord.

"When we arrived you were out cold, and Balinor told me about how his kind had been hunted. When we left he decided to come save Camelot. While we were collecting firewood I told him I was his son. Then the bandits came."

"Oh god, Merlin. I'm so, so sorry. I told you no man was worth your tears. It was your father," Arthur breathed out the words raspily.

"You didn't know," Merlin repeated like earlier. Arthur wanted to strangle him for being so apologetic. He had killed the love of his life and had his father accidentally killed, and Merlin was apologizing? Idiot.

That isn't it Arthur," Merlin stressed. How could there be more, Arthur thought.

"Here we go," Gwaine said aloud.

"When a dragonlord dies, the power is passed onto their heir. I'm the last dragonlord."

The words clung dryly to the air. Arthur could almost feel like they were ringing. I have magic, I'm the last dragonlord. You killed my love, and my only father. Sorry.

Merlin stared, anticipating Arthur's next move. He noticed how quiet the knights were.

"Show me," Arthur insisted. Merlin and the knights sat with their jaws hanging loosely out, expecting anything but this.

"Show me," the king repeated. It took a moment for Merlin to remember to close his mouth.

"What do you want me to do?" Merlin asked.

"Uh... Set Gwaine on fire," Arthur smiled, the first of the day. Merlin was relieved at how calm Arthur was becoming with the idea.

"Do not set me on fire!" protested Gwaine. The tense air of the room lowered and everyone laughed.

"I know what I'll do!" exclaimed Merlin. He mumbled something that was not of the normal english tongue and Gwaine's chain mail began to hover, slowly lifting him up awkwardly as well.

"What the-" Arthur exclaimed as he too started to rise. Merlin could not stop the howling laughter that came from the knights. Arthur demanded for Merlin to put him down. Reluctantly Merlin set down the knight and the king.

"Sire it's getting late in the evening. Are you alright?" a servant asked as he popped his head in the door.

"I am fine," Arthur stressed the fine. "What time is it?"

"The moon has been up for a little over four hours sire."

"Oh. Then we should retire for the night. Knights, I expect to see you bright and early in the morning. Merlin, come with me."

The knights said goodnight to the king and his best friend and walked back to their corridors. Merlin followed his master curiously, wondering what he had to say.

They were halfway down the hallway when Arthur wrapped his arms around Merlin in a tight hug. Merlin awkwardly wrapped his arms around the king.

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"If you tell anyone about this, I will smite you."

**"Oh."**

**Thank you for reading my first Merlin fic. I think I'll add a few more chapter about stuff I put in the disclaimer. I hope you like it. I love reviews and favorites. Please do. Constructive criticism is welcome.**

**-Grace the magical unicorn**


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